John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by the pillar, as the manner was, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason! treason!" — 2 Kings 11:14 (ASV)
And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as
the manner was of kings, when they came into the temple on any occasion, civil or religious, therefore it is called his pillar, (2 Chronicles 23:13) (2 Kings 23:3) (2 Chronicles 34:1).
Some think this was the brazen scaffold erected by Solomon, (2 Chronicles 6:13), though Vitringa F5 and Bishop Patrick suppose it to be the post of the east gate of the inner court, from (Ezekiel 46:2).
According to Jacob Leo F6, this was the royal throne in the court of the Israelites, near the high or upper gate, on a marble pillar, where the kings of the house of David sat, when they came into the sanctuary to see the Lord in the second temple; this throne was like an high tower, standing upon two pillars, each twenty cubits high, and their circumference twelve; here sat Joash, and Hezekiah, and Josiah;
However, Athaliah saw Jehoash with the crown on his head, and in the place where kings used to sit or stand:
and the princes and the trumpeters by the king ;
the rulers of the courses of the priests, and the Levites, blowing the trumpets:
and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets ;
it is added, in (2 Chronicles 23:13) that the singers played also on musical instruments; that were then and there assembled:
and Athaliah rent her clothes ;
through grief, and as one almost distracted:
and cried, treason, treason!
to try if she could get any to take her part, and seize on the new king, and those that set him up.